Tag: religions

Independent publishing is growing, and amid harsh and often condescending criticism, independent authors are doing exceptionally well. Not only that, they are taking very large pieces of the publishing pie and scoring more and more book deals with big name publishers.

And indie publishing is growing yearly. Why? Authors are growing their successes by using editors, professional designers and industry promotions.

Indie authors are here to stay, and their books are filling up publishing sites as we speak.

And just like any other profession and industry, indies need tool sets too. There are a multitude of tips, “How To”, marketing and advertising articles and blogs out there. So it’s time we add even more tools to the indie authors’ growing set.

With my NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) life coach certification, I always and continuously use this expansive and valuable training. NLP is part of my professional tool set as creator. We ALL need tools.

Borrowing from a few of the Presuppositions of NLP, we’re going to translate those teachings into creative thought tools especially just for you, the authors and creatives.

Firstly, presuppositions in NLP are defined as ‘convenient beliefs’ that assist us in structuring our realities using filters by which we make decisions and take actions. And as authors, we DO create realities when we write, right?

Here are 5 presupposition tools for indie authors:

1. Be in charge of your mind, results, actions and therefore – that book you’re writing:

You are and must be in charge of your mind’s state to focus on what you want to create. You have to focus on your goals – be it by setting chapter goals, cover design or editing deadlines – in order to achieve desired results. Avoid allowing the chatter of everyday life, people and things to supposedly control your state. No one can control your state. Only you.

2. Writers already have the resources they need to succeed in writing that novel and/or series:

There is no such thing as an “unresourceful” author, only an unfocussed author. You’re talented already. You can write. You can tell a story. You have command of the language you’re writing in. The only things that can hinder you from writing that novel exactly as you want to; is when you self-sabotage through fear, anxiety and DOUBT. Doubt sets the direction toward lack of recourse and negative state. Forget the word doubt. Control your state. Choose your beliefs. Use your tools. BE the author you know you are and believe in your own resource as storyteller.

3. Writing and creative procedures should create wholeness:

A productive author is one that finds congruence. When you’re born to write, you have to. If you have a story inside you that you know you have to tell, do it. By telling a story and staying true to yourself as creator, you will be congruent. And this congruency will make you happy as a whole person. And happiness affects every aspect of your whole reality, and as such, creates a productive author.

4. Feedback, and only feedback:

There is no such thing as failure as author. Only feedback. Undesired reviews, lack of 5 star ratings and lack of glowing reader responses are not failures; it’s VALUABLE feedback! Regardless of your book’s performance and results, you should consider it feedback. Learn what worked for your story and what didn’t’. Then apply these learnings in your next book. The ONLY failure, is giving up or not even trying. The rest is feedback, and feedback creates resource and experience – and possibly a bestseller!

5. The flexible author controls the system:

You as author should continuously learn new ways of broadening your mind, imagination and professional tool sets. The more flexible you are as a person and professional, the better you’ll work the system of promotion, marketing and distribution. Step away from tunnel vision thinking. Be open to new ways of marketing your book, because if you do the same thing over and over again that doesn’t work – it will never work. Be open to try anything outside the box!

Summary tip: You have a secret weapon…

…And that is your unconscious mind. This is where your imagination lives as well as every deep seated memory, wish, desire, nightmare, emotion and thought. Your conscious mind is only responsible for 5% of your daily life. Your unconscious mind runs 95% of your daily existence. Including sleep, bodily functions, thoughts, processing of thoughts, breathing, beating heart, perceptions, more thoughts and things you are not even aware of. Imagine now…if you consciously accessed your unconscious mind, and allowed it more freedom to write and create. You are then dipping into a whole new pool of creativity. Stephen King’s stories are not that of a conscious thinker. Nor are those of Paulo Coelho or even Nicholas Sparks. These are authors who tap into recesses deeper than the conscious mind… Think and connect on that…

About the Author of this Article: Jeanine Henning

Jeanine’s extensive professional background includes 15 years experience in cover design, children’s book illustration and publication, comic book publishing and editing, console game design, and writing. She has worked with editors, authors and artists on many continents over the span of her career, adding to her diversity and flexibility as artist and designer. Jeanine still works closely with traditional publishers on cover and book art.